#927 Passing it is Impossible

The S-Rank Adventurer Promotion Exam at the Farm.

The results are in!

It’s a unanimous fail!

Not a soul among them could conquer even a single dungeon!

To think conquering all three would promote you to S-rank is a bit of a tall order!

The difficulty settings are utterly broken!

It’s on the same level as throwing your controller to the floor, as if they don’t want you to clear the game. This controller ended up in pieces, leading to further despair.

“Hey, cut the crap!”

“This whole thing’s a farce! You never planned to promote us from the start; you just enjoyed watching us struggle!!!”

“How dare you play with our hopes and dreams!!!”

“Where’s the person in charge?!”

The adventurers, reunited, are seething with rage.

They’re on the brink of rioting.

“Uh, Silver Wolf, doesn’t this this seem bad?”

I, having moved to the organizer’s side, am filled with unease.

If a real riot broke out here, the farm, where we are, would suffer the most damage.

And me, the owner.

Please, no riots on my turf.

In response, Silver Wolf, the organizer, seems unfazed.

“Fear not, Lord Saint...This was all within our expectations.”

“Rrrrreally?”

“If anything, I had hoped that at least one could break our expectations and clear it, but alas, it was but a dream. It seems the overall level of adventurers hasn’t reached my ideals yet…”

After muttering to himself, Silver Wolf stands up and faces the adventurers, who’re just short of turning into a mob.

The booing grows louder.

“Explain this, Guild Master!”

“I mean, the mountain dungeon broke me completely! How is it fair to fight a course-shifting square boar?”

“I got utterly thrashed by the Earl in the cave dungeon! And to think there’s a Lifeless King tougher than him is just too much!”

“I’ve practically converted to priesthood in the pyramid!”

The uproar is deafening.

Under normal circumstances, one might have called the police feeling threatened by the intensity.

But Silver Wolf, having weathered many storms as an adventurer, isn’t the least bit intimidated.

“Silence, ALL OF YOU!!!!!”

With a commanding shout, he silences the crowd.

A heavy silence falls.

He then begins to speak solemnly.

“...How pitiful. Complaining to the guild because you couldn’t clear it? Is that what you plan to do in real adventures as well?”

“Uh...!”

“Indeed, today’s event was set by the guild. But if you thought we made it easy enough for anyone to clear, you’re sorely mistaken. We wanted to see if, despite impossible odds, you could keep going without breaking.”

To advance even in the face of despair, with an undying hope.

That is what it means to be an S-rank adventurer, isn’t it?

The conversation took a philosophical turn real quick.

“And yet, after asking Lord Saint to lend us this place... it’s disappointing. It seems we have yet to nurture a worthy successor among you.”

“B-But isn’t it too much to make us face such ridiculously challenging dungeons?!”

The adventurers, momentarily cowed, begin to protest again.

“Yeah! If mental strength alone could get us to S-rank, we wouldn’t need any help!”

“There are other important aspects like skill, knowledge, and strength. Ignoring all that for an insanely difficult challenge goes against the guild’s principles!”

“An impossible dungeon isn’t fitting for an exam! We demand a difficulty adjustment and a redo!”

The criticism flares up again.

And how does Silver Wolf respond?

“Impossible to clear, you say... I hadn’t realized that’s how you felt.”

Silver Wolf smiles faintly...

“Indeed, becoming an S-rank adventurer isn’t just about grit. It’s about excellence in every aspect: ability, achievements, character, intelligence. I thought this test could gauge all of that... but apparently not.”

“That’s absurd! The most this ridiculous test shows is our stubbornness not to give up!”

“Do you truly believe that?”

Everyone holds their breath at Silver Wolf’s inquiry.

“Do you even understand the power of an S-rank adventurer? To think you could just face a dungeon and flee without trying, is that what you think S-rank adventurers do?”

“Urk...!”

“It seems there’s a vast difference between what I envision and what you imagine. What I’m trying to say is...”

Silver Wolf, with a dramatic pause...

“If you truly, from the bottom of your heart, wished to ascend to S-rank, I believed you’d be willing to shatter your limbs if need be to conquer this dungeon!”

Silver Wolf’s words prompt a collective gasp from the adventurers assembled.

Hundreds are swallowed up by the fervor of just one man.

“However, anyone can talk a big game. The world of adventurers is rife with those boasting grand tales yet lacking substance. To think such individuals could qualify as S-rank adventurers is frankly offensive... Hence, I have a proposition.”

“A proposition?” “What on earth could it be...?!”

The adventurers buzz with unease.

“Even though I’ve announced my retirement, I remain an active S-rank adventurer at heart. I shall venture into one of the dungeons at Lord Saint’s farm and demonstrate my prowess directly.”

“What?!”

“Observe the difference between the S-rank adventurer of your imaginations and the reality. Should I display any form of incompetence, I promise to revise the entire examination process and hold a new test!”

“You’re on, Silver Wolf! Let’s see if your skills are as sharp as your tongue!”

And just like that, the stakes have risen.

***

Thus, Silver Wolf himself set out to challenge the dungeon within the farm.

But the farm’s dungeons are varied.

Would he choose Sensei’s cave dungeon? Or the pyramid guarded by the Five Great Wisdom Kings and the earth spirits?

Ultimately, Silver Wolf’s choice fell on Veil’s mountain dungeon.

“Guwahahaha! Choosing my domain shows you’ve got good taste! Very well, I’ll crush you thoroughly—come at me!”

This guardian’s loud PA system boomed loudly like always.

For now, Veil awaits at the mountain’s summit for Silver Wolf’s arrival.

Adventurers watch his every step from the base.

“...Hah, Silver Wolf putting on airs!”

“As if anyone, even an S-rank, could clear this highest-difficulty dungeon. He’ll retire in disgrace soon enough.”

Amidst the crowd, some can’t hide their disdain.

Then, as if on cue, the mountain dungeon’s first line of defense, the Horned Boars, attacks in a swarm.

The adventurers watch with bated breaths...

“Here they come! These Square Boars are not like the others; they anticipate our moves, and their usually straightforward charge is unpredictably agile!”

“It’s impossible for humans to react to their speed and agility. Silver Wolf is going to get blown away and cry!”

Many expect Silver Wolf to meet the same fate as them, unable to handle the boars’ erratic charges and meet a starry end.

But that’s underestimating an S-rank adventurer.

Just as a Horned Boar leaps at him, Silver Wolf jumps straight up!

“WHAAAAT?!”

“No matter how much it zigzags, a Square Boar can only charge along the ground. Not only is the air a safe zone, but it also puts the opponent in the perfect blind spot.”

He delivers a decisive blow to the boar’s vitals, killing it instantly.

“Don’t waste their lives, team. Move out!”

At my command, the orcs and goblins rush to process the defeated Horned Boars.

“Understanding the strategy is one thing, but without the reflexes, jumping power, and strength to deliver a killing blow, you couldn’t replicate it. Can any of you match what I’ve done?”

The adventurers’ silence speaks volumes.

...But Silver Wolf.

I know something they don’t.

When you first came to the farm, you spent days conquering Veil’s mountain dungeon.

All in the name of fun.

Having cleared it once, the layout and challenges are etched in your memory, making this second run easier.

...

You deliberately chose the easiest dungeon to tackle, didn’t you?

I’ll just keep that to myself.